This year at CES Unveiled, we caught a glimpse of something extremely unusual yet so exciting. We saw a stool with a lamp walking right up to us, only to realize it was a robot! Called Mi-Mo, this new AI-powered robot was one of our favorites at the trade show. Designed by the innovative minds at Japanese robotics company Jizai, this robot is the world’s first “customizable General-Purpose AI robot”. If you look at it, it looks like a fusion of a mid-century modern table and one of the mutant toys from Toy Story! Pretty cool, eh? It also looks a little like WALL-E, if I’m being honest.

Designer: Jizai

The robot is supported by six sleek and wood-capped metal legs, and it waves gently to onlookers completely enchanting them with its charming and docile nature. Mi-Mo is powered by various AI models, which gives it the power to think, act, and adapt by utilizing different visual, audio, and movement cues. The models can be modified by software engineers, allowing their capabilities to be enhanced and elevated. Mi-Mo was designed to look like a piece of furniture. It is made from real wood, and it also moves like a living creature, which is pretty fascinating, It will have more hardware add-ons and sensor attachments in the future, powering it with more functionality.

Mi-Mo certainly had everyone’s attention with its engaging and interesting performance. It seemed to be gracefully shimmying across the floor, and nodding its glowing head at the audience. Mi-Mo can interact playfully with onlookers, and it does have the potential for more applications in the future. Jizai’s CEO, Yuki Ishikawa predicts a world where Mi-Mo will assist with tasks, fetching things for its owners, and harmoniously integrating into our daily lives. Mi-Mo could function as a responsive and intuitive assistant.

Mi-Mo’s preorder waitlist is now open, and interested buyers can also sign up at CES 2025 in person. This exclusive in-person signup process makes the whole ordeal even more exciting and interesting. Mi-Mo will be available in different preferences and prices to accommodate different budgets. The tabletop version will be compact and versatile priced at $3,500. The larger, full-sized model will be available for $30,000 – so there is a Mi-Mo out there for everyone! You could own a charming, Pixar-inspired robotic companion with Mi-Mo. Although, some could say it’s like having your very own Dystopian servant. It will make for a unique addition to any home or office setting. But, currently, Mi-Mo still seems to be in the long testing phase, so we are unsure when exactly it will be made available to the public.

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At CES 2025, Beatbot unveiled the Amphibious RoboTurtle and Shore Self-Docking and Charging Station, two groundbreaking innovations that revolutionize pool care while setting a bold new standard for sustainable robotics. With their innovative designs, these technologies bridge the gap between ecological responsibility and practical application. The attention to detail in form and functionality reflects Beatbot’s focus on creating smarter, greener solutions.

Designer: Beatbot

The Amphibious RoboTurtle: Inspired by Nature, Driven by Innovation

The RoboTurtle’s design harmoniously blends biomimicry and cutting-edge robotics. Its smooth, shell-like exterior mimics the natural form of a turtle, enabling it to integrate seamlessly into aquatic environments. This aesthetic choice is visually striking, while its streamlined design reduces water resistance, enabling the robot to move with precision and agility. The bionic multi-jointed limbs replicate a turtle’s movements, ensuring that its presence in fragile ecosystems is non-disruptive. Each movement reflects meticulous engineering, balancing strength and subtlety.

Underneath its elegant exterior, the RoboTurtle is equipped with advanced technologies. The adaptive buoyancy system enables smooth transitions between land and water, allowing the robot to navigate challenging terrains and dynamic aquatic conditions. AI-powered cameras provide researchers with real-time data, capturing everything from biometric details of marine life to environmental hazards such as oil spills. High-efficiency solar panels embedded in its shell further enhance its functionality, offering sustainable, uninterrupted operation in remote locations.

This combination of design and technology makes the RoboTurtle a versatile tool for conservationists, emergency responders, and researchers. Whether tracking endangered species, analyzing water quality, or responding to environmental crises, the RoboTurtle’s capabilities position it as an essential partner in ecological preservation.

The Shore Self-Docking and Charging Station: Where Function Meets Simplicity

The Shore Self-Docking and Charging Station complements the RoboTurtle with an equally thoughtful design. At first glance, the station’s minimalist aesthetic belies its sophisticated functionality. The clean lines and compact form factor make it an unobtrusive addition to any poolside setting. The motorized ramp, crafted for smooth transitions, ensures that the robotic cleaner moves effortlessly from water to dock without human intervention.

This docking station distinguishes itself with its use of wireless magnetic charging. This system eliminates the need for exposed ports, reducing the risk of water damage and ensuring consistent, reliable performance. The advanced multi-sensor fusion technology allows the robotic cleaner to navigate accurately back to the dock, even in complex pool environments. By charging the robot outside the pool, the design prioritizes both safety and efficiency, enabling quicker maintenance cycles and minimizing downtime.

The Shore Station’s energy-efficient approach perfectly aligns with modern sustainability goals. It streamlines the maintenance process and reduces waste, making it indispensable for homeowners who value convenience and eco-conscious living.

A Unified Vision for Smart Aquatic Solutions

Together, the Amphibious RoboTurtle and the Shore Self-Docking and Charging Station represent a significant leap forward in smart aquatic technology. Beatbot has taken a holistic approach, ensuring that each product complements the other while addressing distinct challenges. The RoboTurtle brings ecological responsibility to the forefront with its versatile capabilities, while the Shore Station simplifies daily maintenance for pool owners without compromising on sustainability.

These innovations show how Beatbot blends technology with nature in practical and meaningful ways. As showcased at CES 2025, Booth 52368, the RoboTurtle, and Shore Station are technological marvels designed to create a smarter, greener future. By focusing on design, functionality, and environmental impact, Beatbot sets a new benchmark for what robotics can achieve in aquatic environments.

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Japanese start-up Yukai Engineering is popular for creating robots that spark joy and amusement within you. With some great products such as a headless robotic companion cat called Qoobo and a therapeutic pillow for companionship, they’re now back in the game with a furry new bot called Mirumi. As a cat lover (and an owner of 2), having an adorable plush robot that is coy rather than brushing things off my desk like my cats usually do will be a refreshing change.

Picture this: a cuddly, plush-like creature that’s more than just a toy. Meet Mirumi, your new best friend, who’s bursting with personality and charm. Designed to embody the wide-eyed wonder of an infant, Mirumi is equipped with state-of-the-art sensors that allow it to detect people nearby. It turns its head with delightful curiosity, its googly eyes locking onto you with an innocence that’s impossible to resist.

Designer: Yukai Engineering

Although Mirumi is curious, it is also quite shy. If you move towards the bot or try to touch it, it will instantly shy away, ducking away from your attention. Mirumi has been unveiled at CES 2025 and has turned several heads. Mirumi can’t move around by itself, all it can do is turn its head but it has been equipped with emotional interactions such as curiosity, inquisitiveness, bashfulness, and even nods a no to convey a reaction to being approached. To top it all, it comes equipped with long arms that will cling to the strap of your bag or backpack, allowing you to carry your furry companion with you wherever you like.

Mirumi is equipped with a distance sensor and an inertial measurement unit to detect movement. If someone taps the robot or a bag begins to move, Mirumi will focus on the person or object detected close by. It will woo that person over with its adorable eyes and furry persona! However, if someone appears out of nowhere or tries to touch it, it will turn its head away, feigning the shyness of an infant. If you jiggle Mirumi, it will shake its head to say no, showcasing dislike. If no one engages with the robot for some time, it will begin its adorable head movements again to capture your attention.

The furry bot is designed to be a comforting companion robot, designed to soothe its people. It hugs your arm or bag, making you feel comforted and less alone. It almost looks like a little grey chick is clinging to you! “People often find great joy in sharing their own happiness with others. Mirumi is a robot that enables you to do just that, said Yukai Engineering CEO Shunsuke Aoki. “Whether you’re riding a crowded train or standing in line at the cashier, your Mirumi will always find a way to reach into people’s hearts with its innocent gaze, prompting the person to wave at the robot or make a funny face in response.”

Mirumi aims to be your moment of calm, soothe you when you feel anxious, or just be your companion in arms through life. Knowing the world and its reach, with notifications pinging us every second and the urgency culture amplifying things, Mirumi is a gentle nudge to feel that peace within—something I know will help me meet my goals to connect and gather more glimmers every day.

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If you want a taste of what tech to expect in the new year, there’s no better place to be at than CES. The problem, however, is that CES is massive, and is spread across three large venues. Covering any ground at CES is a major task, which is why events like CES Unveiled are perfect grounds for exploring everything new that the tech world has to offer. CES Unveiled is much smaller than the main event, and gets held usually a day earlier. This is where tech brands and winners of CES awards come to showcase their stuff in a smaller venue before the big show.

We attended CES Unveiled 2025 and while the show was filled with a lot of interesting (and some slightly stale) tech, three things stood out. AI could be found practically in every single corner of Unveiled; Robots are becoming more useful and more prevalent thank to AI; Smart Glasses are also picking up speed thanks to LLMs and AI; and finally, it seems like ages ago that I saw a TV at CES Unveiled because projectors are becoming more and more popular.

AI is Everywhere

SkyTed.io Headset

We’re definitely in an AI bubble because you’ll find AI features everywhere. Sure, AI translators and image recognition is a pretty good way to use AI – but we’re now seeing AI built into products that probably didn’t need it to begin with. LLMs are becoming increasingly popular as a trend as well as a feature, being found in all products from earbuds to massive robots.

It’s difficult to tell whether the AI bubble will burst any time soon, but here’s something worth thinking about – AI is expensive, and companies will probably either A. Pass that expense onto the consumer, or B. Absorb the expense and make up the losses by harvesting data. However, there are areas where AI’s actually pretty impressive, like SkyTed’s headset, which uses a very powerful dual-direction microphone and AI noise-reduction to let you effectively whisper in a crowded room and have your voice seamlessly heard clearly on the other side.

Robots aren’t going anywhere

Enchanted Tools Robot

I have a theory. I’ve attended CES in both Vegas as well as CES Asia in Shanghai, and the main difference between them is the presence of robots. Americans are traditionally very hostile to robots because of pop culture demonizing them, like with Terminator, Transformers, etc. The east, on the other hand, has always seen robots as fun companions or superheroes, and it’s taken decades for the two cultures to come to a consensus – That robots are useful. Potentially scary, but useful.

CES Unveiled had its fair share of robots – some utilitarian, some cute. These robots have been around for ages, but they’re now powered by AI that helps them be more human by interacting with natural language as well as contextual memory.

Meta may have revived the Smart Glass trend

Mustard Smart Glasses

In all honesty, wearing the Meta Ray-Bans 2 to CES was an absolute godsend… but wearing it around exhibitors exhibiting similar glasses was a unique experience. Most people recognized that my specs had cameras in them, but what was truly interesting was to see such ubiquitous tech around. Smart glasses became more and more popular this CES, with specs like heads-up displays, XR displays, and even AI-enabled world-scanning.

Google launched the Google Glass back in 2013, and it’s safe to say that it’s taken nearly 12 years for the technology to truly become something ready for mass acceptance. Smart glasses are here, an they’re thinner and more powerful than ever before.

This Year’s Hot Take: Projectors > Televisions

Aurzen Tri-Fold Projector

Projectors are now at a point where they’re cheap, which honestly was the last frontier that they needed to conquer in their war with televisions. TVs have been the home entertainment standard for too long and I totally think it’s time they were replaced with projectors. Even a budget projector can cast a screen hundreds of inches wide, turning your entire wall into a display. Projectors are smaller than TVs too, which means you can carry them around from one room to another, or even to a backyard or your friend’s house.

We saw some pretty cool projectors including an ultra-short throw one from JMGO, and a palm-sized tri-fold one from Aurzen. My favorite, however, was a projector that could project make-up onto your face in real-time, allowing you to quickly cycle through looks.

CES officially begins on January 7th 2025, and we’re going to bring you the latest tech news from the ground. If you want to attend CES 2025, here’s how you can. Or follow Yanko Design’s CES coverage for more information.

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There are probably two kinds of people in the world when it comes to robots: those who think that it’s more convenient to have them around and those who are scared that they might become our overlords someday, just like in those sci-fi movies. If you’re somewhere in the former camp or at least in between the two, you’re not surprised or afraid that we see them take on more tasks that actual humans previously did.

Designer: Chang Do Oh

Human caddies have been long-time companions of golfers everywhere. Rarely do you see a golfer who does everything for themselves as a caddie usually accompanies them and assists them as they play on the green. This concept called Goalf replaces that human caddie with a robot caddie even as golf courses are also getting the smartization treatment. Aside from the fact that it won’t get tired, this robot is also optimized to help players achieve their golfing goals, hence the name goalf.

Aside from following the golfer around and handing them their golf clubs, this caddie can also recommend which club to use in certain situations. It looks like those information robots going around malls and airports but instead of just providing you with facts, you actually get to utilize the smart features of your robo caddie to improve your game. The renders also show a screen which will probably give you information about your statistics like handicap, swing, etc.

Golfers develop a pretty close relationship with their regular human caddies so this may be something that Goalf may not be able to do, unless it uses AI as well to converse with the player. But it’s an interesting concept to explore and will probably be more common in the future. Here’s hoping they don’t become our golfing overlords though.

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There was a time when we were told that the future of deliveries would be made by robots, both flying or rolling. That dream proved to be a little too impractical and not secure to be considered a sustainable model, especially after a few mishaps that befell these unsuspecting machines. That’s not to say that they can’t become a more common sight in the distant future, leaving plenty of opportunities to refine the design of these robots.

Having small robots carrying packages on the street might sound cute until you think about how a fleet of such autonomous machines might seem like a waste of space on roads if that’s the only thing they can do. This concept design tries to add a new angle to this idea, offering a multi-functional robot that can follow you around, deliver your packages, and even transport you to your destination.

Designers: Chaewon Lee, Jungmin Park

The idea of a delivery robot is both interesting and worrying, providing a little more efficiency but also raising the stakes both for the security of the package as well as the human couriers they will replace. A robotic storage device that follows you around or hands off items to colleagues on the same floor, however, might be a little less daunting, offering convenience without that big of a risk. Even better if this robot can actually do chores for you, including making purchases on your behalf.

movr is a concept for such a robot, but it goes beyond simply carrying stuff. At first glance, it actually looks odd for a delivery robot and looks more like a three-wheeled mobile trash can. Its side slides open to reveal a small compartment for a phone, drink holders, envelopes, and any other thing you need to be transported. Almost like a ride-hailing service, movr has an app that can let you send packages or pick some up, depending on the task you need to accomplish.

Its real magic, however, is in what the robot can do when it’s not transporting objects. movr can also move people around, or at most one person, by transforming into a personal mobility device. Its front extends from its body and the scooter’s handles slide up from the front. The robot’s body then becomes the seat for the lone passenger, carrying the user as well as some of their things from one place to another.

movr is an interesting concept, though it isn’t something that can be easily implemented. Stability, battery life, speed, and intelligence will all be critical factors to consider, and they’re not something that can be easily crammed into a compact design like this. Transforming robots and vehicles, however, has long been a dream of many engineers and designers, so there might come a time in the distant future when movr transforms from idea to reality.

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If you’ve ever tried charging your phone on a wireless charging mat only to realize after an hour that it never charged because it was just mildly misaligned, you’ll understand the frustration of car-makers who’ve been wanting to wirelessly charge EVs. You see, it’s sure easy to plug an EV into a charging port, but nobody really likes the effort of stepping out, finding a cable, plugging it in, and waiting for your car to charge. It’s a lot easier to just drive onto a wireless charging mat and have your car charged while it’s parked (and while you’re sitting comfortably inside).

The problem, however, is that alignment. Wireless charging is only efficient when the coils on the charger and the receiver align perfectly. Lose the alignment and the energy gets lost too, resulting in a battery that isn’t charged. The problem may be minor, but its implications are massive when you consider how large a car battery is (especially compared to your phone). The solution according to South Korean designer Lee Dong Ju is fairly simple – a robot that drives to your car and autonomously aligns the coils beneath your EV for efficient charging.

Designer: Lee Dong Ju

A winner of the Red Dot Award: Design Concept for the year 2024, EV.BUDDY is a sleek little autonomous robot that can drive around, sliding right under an EV with a low battery. The platform-shaped robot is slim enough to easily slip underneath any EV (no matter how little the ground tolerance), using a series of sensors to detect the wireless charging zone on the EV’s underside. Once it does so, the EV.BUDDY raises its coils upwards to ensure they come in contact with the car, and the charging process begins.

The EV.BUDDY houses its own battery, although given how slim it is, one wonders what the battery capacity would be. Instead of you stepping out and configuring anything, the EV.BUDDY drives up to your car on-demand and begins the charging process, no muss no fuss. Sure, it’s just a concept for now, but I’d imagine it would work rather well in the future, where you could just park your car at a Target or an IKEA or even at work and have the EV.BUDDY autonomously drive up to your car, initiate the charging protocol, and juice your car’s battery without you doing anything at all!

Once it’s done, the EV.BUDDY slides out and drives back to its own station, where its battery gets replenished so it can charge the next car.

The post This Robot Wirelessly Charges Your EV By Driving Under It And Aligning The Charging Coils first appeared on Yanko Design.

One of the biggest use case proposals for home robots, at least next to cleaning floors, is the care of older members of the family. Whether it’s reminding them of their medication or delivering the newspaper to their side, these rolling robots are imagined to give much-needed assistance to less ambulant members of the household. But while that’s definitely a necessity, it makes the generalization that older people at home are all stuck to their seats most of the day.

Many senior citizens, especially those who are just starting their retirement stage, don’t have such needs yet. They’re still able to move on their own and even prefer a bit of independence while they can still physically enjoy it. More often than not, what they do need is some form of companionship, not necessarily from people, and this robot pet concept tries to deliver that kind of emotional support that impersonal “delivery” robots might not be able to.

Designers: Seo hyun Mok, Jeongseok Hwang

Of course, those robots for seniors being advertised by some companies try to have a friendly face that can theoretically appeal to these people, but the emotional connection ends there. It’s the same as having a courier simply delivering your items with a smile. For older people who can simply walk over to the counter on their own, it doesn’t add much value to their lives.

Careby is more like an emotional support pet than a personal caregiver, designed to offer the kind of companionship older people now seek from flesh and blood animals. Without the hassle of feeding and cleaning, of course. It looks like a cross between a cat and some quadruped critter, except it has wheels for feet instead. And, of course, it’s supposed to be AI-driven so that it can intelligently respond to voice prompts or react to your facial expressions.

What’s a little interesting is that Careby is not supposed to be an obedient robot by design. It will sometimes refuse to obey commands or display a stubborn streak, mimicking the behavior of real-life pets or even children. To some extent, it tries to create a more spontaneous and believable relationship, though it’s walking on a slipper slope as older people tend to be less patient as years go by.

Truth be told, Careby might look like any other home robot toy that’s growing in number in the smart home market today, though it might be one of the first to target a very specific niche audience. Most of these will be powered by AI, so it’s not exactly a unique feature, but it does bring to mind the diverse needs of people at home, especially older members who are still able to take care of themselves but need more than just physical care.

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There are many reasons why sometimes kids are left to play alone or entertain themselves. Oftentimes the “babysitter” would be a phone or tablet or any gadget but of course these are mostly passive activities and they cannot totally interact with it. Of course actual contact with human beings would be the most ideal but for those that are not able to always do so, an interactive educational and entertainment tool would be the next best thing.

Designer: Onurhan Demir

The TED-I is an AI-powered Teddy Bear concept that is meant to be “a friend, menter, and teacher” to the child that it’s baby-sitting if there are no available adults at the moment. It is equipped with different features to help engage with the child and recognize their potential early on. The child is also able to interact back with the bear because of the features so they don’t feel that they’re just alone with the device.

The bear is equipped with two microphones on its ears so it can detect sounds around it, including when the child talks. One of its eyes has a projector lens that can project images and videos onto surfaces while the other eye has a camera that can detect user and environmental movements. It can also record and stream live video for the parents if they’re not there. On the cheeks, there are two speakers so the child can listen to music and to the video’s audio. There’s also an LED screen on its mouth so you can see real-life mouth movements and expressions while the artificial heart on its chest also expresses emotions through the different colors. It has a wireless charging pillow when you need to it to rest and recharge.

It’s an interesting concept if the child (or adult) is not afraid of android bears that might eventually become their overlord. While it’s meant to be a child’s more interactive babysitter, the parents can also enjoy it with their children like watching movies together and listening to music while talking.

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NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was a groundbreaking piece of equipment that was able to be the first human-made object to fly to a different planet back in 2021. And while it crashed in January of this year, it was still able to make 72 flights in under three years. Now that it’s not functioning anymore, NASA is looking at building the next object that will give us a peek into another planet.

Designer: NASA

They have unveiled the early design renderings of the Mars Chopper, their proposed follow-up to the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter. It’s a huge leap from the original as this one is the size of an SUV with six rotor blades to help it fly across the planet. It will be able to carry up to 11 pounds of science payloads across 1.9 miles per Mars day.

The initial renders show the three-legged drone gliding over the supposed landscape of Mars. Since Ingenuity was much smaller, this will hopefully be able to surpass its achievements and give us an even better view and understanding of Mars. It should be able to help scientists in studying Martian terrain and at a faster rate.

While it’s still in its “early conceptual and design stages”, there is already anticipation in how the Chopper can give us a glimpse into the previously inaccessible areas. It’s not clear though if it will actually be sent to Mars.

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